Miami Dolphins: Why Ryan Tannehill Will Become an Elite Quarterback

If the Miami Dolphins want to finally take over the AFC East, they'll need their quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, to take the next step in his career. He's only been in the league for two seasons, but the young signal-caller has shown the potential to become a top-10 quarterback.

Not only does Tannehill have the arm to make all the throws, but he can run, too. Back in college at Texas A&M, Tannehill started out as a wide receiver. As seen in the GIF below, Tannehill has enough speed to hurt his opponents.

Although he had no major offensive weapons, Tannehill was still productive. During his rookie campaign, his receiving corps consisted of Brian Hartline, Davone Bess, Rishard Matthews and Marlon Moore.

Even with these mediocre targets, Tannehill ended the season with a quarterback rating of 50.4, which is right around the league average, according to ESPN.

In 2013, the Dolphins' problem was their offensive line. Even though Tannehill was sacked a league-high 58 times, he still managed to lead his team to a respectable 8-8 record.

Tannehill has already created a buzz during OTAs with his development:

Philbin on Ryan Tannehill: "I think his understanding and knowledge of the system is very good...I'm pleased with his development."

Not only has Tannehill shown progress during his first two NFL seasons, he's also shown the ability to step up in big moments.

In Week 3 of last season, the Dolphins were trailing by three points to the Atlanta Falcons with under a minute left in the fourth quarter, when Tannehill threw the game-winning touchdown to tight end Dion Sims, as seen in the GIF below.

With a solid offensive line, a good receiving corps and the clutch gene, Tannehill is ready to become an elite NFL quarterback.